Stapling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A stapling apparatus that includes a cavity supported for receiving and guiding a staple about the elements to be stapled. Indexing means are provided for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple-forming station. An anvil member is pivotally supported at the staple-forming station for movement between operate and inoperable positions, wherein the anvil is held in its operate position during the staple-forming operation without benefit of a spring biasing element. The apparatus further includes bending means for engaging and bending the staple material about the anvil, and driving means for driving the staple into the cavity. The bending and driving means are connected together for conjoint movement during the staple-forming operation and are thereafter unlatched to permit movement of the driving means relative to the bending means. Actuating means are further provided for operating the indexing means, and for moving the bending and driving means from a rest position to the operate position thereof.

United States Patent 1 Garfinkel et al.

[ Jan. 21,1975

[ STAPLING APPARATUS [76] Inventors: Jack Garfinkel, 28-33 209th Pl.,

Bayside, N.Y. l 1360; Ronald K.

Rosenberg, 50 Maplewood Dr.. Plainview,N.Y. 11803 [22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 421,391

[52] U.S. Cl. 29/203 DT [51] Int. Cl H0lr 43/04 [58] Field of Search..... 29/203 DT, 203 HT, 203 D,

29/203 D5, 203 R; 53/138 A Primary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ryder, McAulay, Fields, Fisher & Goldstein [57] ABSTRACT A stapling apparatus that includes a cavity supported for receiving and guiding a staple about the elements to be stapled. indexing means are provided for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple'forming station. An anvil member is pivotally supported at the staple-forming station for movement between operate and inoperable positions, wherein the anvil is held in its operate position during the stapleforming operation without benefit of a spring biasing element. The apparatus further includes bending means for engaging and bending the staple material about the anvil, and driving means for driving the staple into the cavity. The bending and driving means are connected together for conjoint movement during the stapleforming operation and are thereafter unlatched to permit movement of the driving means relative to the bending means. Actuating means are further provided for operating the indexing means, and for moving the bending and driving means from a rest position to the operate position thereof.

22 Claims, 26 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 21 I975 sum 01 0F 10 FIG.

PATENTEDJANZI ms SHEET UZUF 10 FIG.- 2

PATENTED JANZ] I975 sum um 10 FATENTED 1 5 SHEET OSUF 1O FIG- 5 PATENTEI] JAN 21 I975 sum 05 0F 10 FIG. 7A

PATENTEQJAN21 I975 sum 070F 1o FIG. 8A

FIG. 8

PATENTEU JANE] I975 SHEET UBUF 10 FIG.

PMENTED I975 'SHEET new 10 FIG.

FIG. I3

STAPLING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a stapling apparatus, and more specifically, to a wire splicer which connects the ends of two or more wires together by means of a connector member formed of a flat metallic strip and crimped about the ends of said wires to provide conductivity therebetween.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, it has been proposed to conductively connect wires together by stripping the insulated covering from the ends thereof and placing said stripped ends in a die cavity. A preformed U-shaped metal connector clip is then manually positioned in or adjacent to the cavity and a driver is employed to force the sides of the clip around the wires and in crimping relation thereto. Alternatively, the preformed clip can be initially inserted into the cavity with the bight portion of the clip in contacting relation to the bottom wall of the cavity. The wires to be joined are then inserted into the open end of the clip and the driver member advanced in a direction toward the open end of the cavity to clinch the sides of the clip around the wires. Illustrative examples of apparatus known to perform the aforesaid splicing operation are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,872 issued in the name of R. E. Rheem et al. on July 4, 1967 entitled Apparatus for Making Crimped Electrical Connections and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,438 issued in the name of J. E. Marley et al. on July 23, 1968 entitled Crimping Tool.

The operation described briefly above is also analogous to that generally encountered in the wire stapling art, and more specifically in apparatus as embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 925,531 issued in the name of A. R. Tiffany on June 22, 1909 entitled Stapling Machine and in U.S. Pat. No. 1,855,162 issued in the name of R. E. Zeruneith on Apr. 19, 1932 entitled Wire Stapling Machine. The apparatus disclosed in the aforesaid patents each includes a reel of flat metal strip intermittently feeding a predetermined length of the strip from the supply reel to a forming and driving station. The metal strip is cut and formed over an anvil member into a generally U-shaped connector member, the open end of which is then driven in the direction of and into a cavity support to crimp around the bare ends of two wires previously positioned in the cavity and establish conductivity therebetween. It will be appreciated that the wires thus stapled together provide electrical conductivity for use in electronic circuitry.

Other known apparatus having relevance to the above operations are noted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,368,322 issued in the name of Y. Yasui on Feb. 13, 1968 entitled Bag Sealing Machine et cet. and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,611 issued in the name of I. W. Rosenbaum on Jan. 25, 1972 entitled Apparatus for Splicing Wires. As noted in these patents, and depending on the object being worked upon or the use being made of the apparatus, it is sometimes desirable to limit the advancing movement of the driver member so that it does not enter the cavity support as illustrated in the Yasui patent. Whereas in other applications of use, the driver is mounted for movement in a path extending into and out of the cavity as illustrated in the Rosenbaum patent.

While each of the apparatus in the aforesaid patents performs its intended function, they all share in common drawbacks which effect the overall operating efficiency of the respective machines. Among the more notable undesirable characteristics of the known appa ratus is the large number of moving parts, anyone of which is a potential source of breakdown which usually requires that the machine be taken out of service for repair. The present invention significantly reduces the number of assembly components to thereby substantially reduce the number of potentially troublesome areas of operation with a resulting decrease in the frequency of repair of such machines.

The present invention also provides an improved hitch feed assembly for intermittently advancing the flat metal strip to the connector forming and driving station wherein the operator can exercise a greater degree of control over the movement of such strip, and readily remove the same from the feed assembly as required.

The invention further provides that the anvil member, over which the severed metal strip is formed into the connector, be mounted on the apparatus in a manner to improve the operating efficiency thereof. In this regard, the known apparatus described in the aforesaid patents to Tiffany, Yasui and Rosenbaum pivotally mount their respective anvils under influence of a spring which urges the anvil into its operative position. The spring is designed to be strong enough to prevent movement or displacement of the anvil when the severed metal strip is draped thereover during the connector forming operation. Thereafter, movement of the driver member in its advancing position toward the cavity serves to pivotally displace the anvil to its retracted position, against the force of the spring, whereby the formed connector is driven toward the cavity. Repeated operations as described above place severe stresses on the spring with the result that it is an element of frequent repair. Furthermore, use of a spring biased anvil inherently results in the spring absorbing a portion of the energy expended during operation of the apparatus. The amount of the energy absorbed by the spring may be significant particularly where a strong spring is used in forming a connector made of hardened material. Since the type of spring selected for a given operation will depend on the hardness of the material being used to form the connector, it will be necessary to change the anvil biasing spring when changing from one type of connector forming material to another. The changing of the spring is burdensome and requires that the apparatus be taken out of operation until the change is made. The present invention eliminates the inefficient operating spring element from the anvil assembly which, in turn, eliminates a frequent source of machine breakdown.

The present invention further provides for greater force in advancing the driver member toward the cavity, and more accessibility to the working area to enable the operator to obtain more efficient use of the apparatus.

The above and other features of the present invention that serve to distinguish and improve upon the heretofore known wire splicing apparatus will become more fully apparent as noted in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The stapling apparatus of the present invention in cludes a support frame having a cavity member mounted thereon for receiving and guiding a staple about the elements to be stapled. Indexing means are provided for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple-forming station. An anvil member is pivotally supported at the staple-forming station for movement between operate and inoperable positions. The apparatus further includes bending means movable with respect to the staple-forming station for engaging and bending the staple material about the anvil, and driving means movable relative to the bending means for driving the staple into the cavity. The apparatus further includes selectively operable actuating means for sequentially operating the indexing means, and for moving the bending means and driving means from a rest position to the operate position thereof.

More specifically, the present invention includes latching means for connecting the bending means and driving means together for conjoint movement. In operation, after the bending means has moved to a preselected position in its path of movement, which is preferably beyond the staple-forming station, the anvil is displaced to its inoperable position and the bending means and driving means are unlatched to permit movement of the driving means relative to the bending means for driving the formed staple into the cavity and about the elements to be stapled.

The invention further includes positive holding or locking means for maintaining the anvil in its operate position without benefit of a spring biasing element. In

this regard, the anvil includes an outwardly projecting leg disposed in abutting contact with a surface portion of the combined bending and driving means to prevent displacement of said anvil when the staple-forming material is draped thereover. However, after the staple is formed, the continued movement of the combined bending and driving means beyond the stable-forming station results in a recess portion thereof being located adjacent to the anvil leg portion, whereby the continued advancing movement of the combined bending and driving means causes the anvil leg to be received in said recess thereby permitting displacement of the anvil to its inoperable position. After the staple has been driven into the cavity and about the elements to be stapled, the retracted movement of the combined bending and driving means causes the lower edge of the recess to engage with the anvil leg portion and pivot the anvil back to its operate position upon continued retracted movement of the combined bending and driving means. The anvil is now in proper position for the repeat cycle of the apparatus.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved stapling apparatus having novel latching means for connecting the bending means and driving means together for conjoint movement, and unlatching means responsive to the movement of said bending means to a preselected position in its path of movement for disengaging the latching means to permit movement of the driving means relative to the bending means.

Another object and feature of the invention is to provide an improved stapling apparatus having novel restraining means for maintaining the anvil in its operate position without benefit of a spring biasing element, and disengaging means for moving the anvil to its inoperable position after the staple is formed.

A further object and feature of the invention is to provide an improved indexing means for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple-forming station, whereby the operator can exercise a greater degree of control over the movement of such material.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of a wire splicing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section and with parts broken away, of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view, partly in section, illustrating the clutch assembly of the apparatus in its start-stop position;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the associated elements of the combined connector forming and driving assembly of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevational view, partly in section and with parts broken away, of the hitch feed assembly for advancing a flat metal strip to the connector forming and driving station of the apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rear surface of the roller retainer plate of the hitch feed assembly;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lever member adapted for use with the hitch feed assembly of the invention;

FIG. 7A is a partial front elevational view illustrating the lever member operatively associated with the movable hitch plate of the hitch feed assembly for permitting quick release of the flat metal strip;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, partly in section and with parts broken away, of the combined connector forming and driving bar assembly of the apparatus in its start-stop position;

FIG. 8A is a front elevational view, of the main hub or bearing assembly illustrating its rotational position relative to the combined connector forming and driving bar assembly, corresponding to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the combined connector forming and driving bar assembly of the apparatus in its top dead center position;

FIG. 9A is a view similar to FIG. 8A illustrating the rotational position of the main hub or bearing assembly corresponding to its position illustrated in FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the combined connector forming anddriving bar assembly of the apparatus in its cutting position for severing a selected length of flat metal strip from the supply reel;

FIG. 10A is a view similar to FIG. 8A illustrating the rotational position of the main hub or bearing assembly corresponding to its position illustrated in FIG. 10;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the combined connector forming and driving bar assembly of the apparatus immediately after forming the connector clip, with the anvil member ready to be released from the operating position thereof;

FIG. 11A is a view similar to FIG. 8A illustrating the rotational position of the main hub or bearing assembly corresponding to its position illustrated in FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the driving bar unlatched from the connector forming bars and in its driving position, with the anvil member pivotally rotated out of its operating position;

FIG. 12A is a view similar to FIG. 8A illustrating the rotational position of the main hub or bearing assembly corresponding to its position illustrated in FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the driving bar assembly in its bottommost position for crimping the connector member about the ends of wires previously positioned in the cavity;

FIG. 13A is a view similar to FIG. 8A illustrating the rotational position of the main hub or bearing assembly corresponding to its position illustrated in FIG. 13;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged front elevational view, partly in section and with parts broken away, of the combined connector forming and driving bar assembly of the apparatus in its cutting position for severing a selected length of flat metal strip to form the connector member;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 illustrating the combined connector forming and driving bar assembly of the apparatus immediately after draping the severed strip over the anvil to form the connector member;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the connector member formed by the forming bar assembly of the apparatus;

FIGS. 17 and 18 are front elevational views, partly in section and with parts broken away, successively illustrating the advancing movement of the driver barin driving the formed connector member in the direction toward the cavity and in crimping relation about the wires previously positioned therein; and

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the wire splice formed by the apparatus of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, numeral 10 represents an apparatusfor stapling two or more wires together constructed in accordance with the present invention. Apparatus 10 includes a support frame 12 preferably formed of cast iron or other suitable metal having a base 14 for resting the support frame on a work table (not shown) to enable an operator to operate the apparatus from a sitting position. The upper portion of support frame 12 includes a rearwardly projecting housing 16 adapted to receive and support a shaft 18 longitudinally thereof. Shaft 18 is suitably journaled in a rear bearing assembly 20 and is keyed to a front main hub 22, which, in turn, is rotatably mounted in the front wall portion of housing 16. The structure is such that hub 22 rotates together with shaft 18 in the operation of the apparatus.

Rear bearing assembly 20 includes a cylindrical housing 24 having an inner bushing member 26 through which passes the distant end of rotatably supported shaft 18. The front end of housing 24 is fixedly received within a counterbore opening in the rear surface of flywheel 28 which is loosely mounted on shaft 18 and is rotatably driven by a motor 32 in conventional manner by means of interconnecting belt 34. Electrical current to operate motor 32 is supplied from a source (not shown) through conductor 36 and switch 38, whereby movement of switch 38 to its on position will operate motor 32 to drive flywheel 30 clockwise, as viewed from the front, by means of belt 34. Rotation of flywheel 30 causes the connected rear bearing assembly 20 to similarly rotate with it.

The portion of shaft 18 projecting beyond bearing assembly 20 is disposed to receive a collar member 40 keyed or otherwise affixed thereto so that collar 40 rotates together with rotation of shaft 18. Collar 40 has an outer diameter greater than the internal diameter of housing 24 to prevent shaft 18 from inadvertently shifting axially and outwardly of housing 16 after assembly of the apparatus. Collar 40 also serves to locate flywheel 30 in relation to clutch assembly 42 as hereinafter described.

Rotatably supported relative to housing 16 and adjacent to flywheel 30 is a clutch assembly 42 including a clutch disc 44 having a centrally located opening for receiving shaft 18 therethrough. Disc 44 is disposed to be keyed or otherwise affixed to shaft 18 in suitable manner so that rotation of disc 44 will cause shaft 18 to similarly rotate. Disposed between disc 44 and flywheel 30 is a clutch ring 46 pivotally mounted loosely to clutch disc 44 by means of pin 48. The mounting arrangement is such that counterclockwise rotation of ring 46 serves to similarly rotate disc 44 in the direction of the arrow as indicated in FIG. 3. In this regard, ring 46 includes a tooth engaging inner edge portion 49 adapted to be engaged by one of the teeth 50 of a driving ratchet member 52 which, in turn, has a rearwardly threaded end portion received within a complementary internally threaded counterbore opening in the front surface of flywheel 28. Ratchet 52 is thus fixedly connected to flywheel 28 and rotates together therewith, while at the same time being loosely mounted relative to shaft 18. A torsion spring 54 associated with pin 48 exerts a force on clutch ring 46 tending to rotate the same counterclockwise about its pivot into normally operative engaging relation with one of the teeth 50 of ratchet 52. Ring 46 and ratchet 52 are illustrated in FIG. 3 in disengaging relation. However, when clutch assembly 42 is engaged with flywheel 30 as hereinafter described, the ratchet 52 drives clutch ring 46 counterclockwise which similarly rotates clutch disc 44 pinned thereto. As noted above, rotation of clutch disc 44 serves to similarly rotate shaft 18 connected thereto.

Engagement of clutch assembly 42 is effected through suitable linkage connecting the assembly to a solenoid 55 which is controlled by foot switch 56 electrically connected to a source, not shown. Referring to FIG. 3, solenoid core 58 is connected to one end of link 60; the other end of which is pinned to one end 62 of generally L-shaped 64. The said link 64 is pivotally mounted relative to housing 16 and is disposed for movement about pivot 66. The other end 68 of link 64 includes a pusher member 70 at the terminal end thereof disposed in contacting relation to one end 71 of cross link 72. This latter link is pinned at approximately its midpoint to an elongated post 74 which, in turn, is pinned at its lower end to a trip lever 76. A tension spring 78 is provided having its opposite ends disposed between cross link 72 and a projecting pin 80 located in post 74 which serves to exert a force on link 72 tending to rotate the same counterclockwise to maintain operative contact between end 71 of link 72 and pusher member 70. One end 82 of lever 76 is adapted to engage a shoulder 84 of clutch ring 46 to deflect said ring cloclwise and out of engaging relation with ratchet 52, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The disengagement of ring 46 from ratchet 52 corresponds to the start-stop position of the apparatus. The other end of lever 76 is loosely connected to one end of another lever 86 by means of pin 88, or the like. The other end 90 of lever 86 is adapted to engage a shoulder 92 of clutch 44 to prevent backward rotation of said disc and of the clutch assembly in the start-stop position of the apparatus. A tension spring 94 having its opposite ends disposed between levers 76 and 86 serves to maintain their respective ends 82 and 90 in contacting relation to the peripheral edges of ring 46 and disc 44 respectively.

Operation of clutch assembly 42 is as follows. Switch 38 is turned to its on position to operate motor 32 which drives flywheel 30 by means of belt 34. Rotation of flywheel 30 causes connected ratchet member 52 to similarly rotate. At this point, clutch assembly 42 is in normally disengaging relation with ratchet 52, as illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein lever end 82 is in engaging relation with clutch ring shoulder 84 thereby preventing engagement of said ring 46 with ratchet 52. Lever end 90 also is engaging relation with clutch disc shoulder 92 to prevent backward rotation of the clutch assembly. It will be appreciated that shaft 18 is not rotating at this point in view of the disengagement of clutch ring 46 with ratchet 52. The operator now energizes solenoid 55 by means of foot switch 56 which draws core 58 downwardly in the direction of the arrow as indicated in FIG. 3. Downward movement of core 58 pulls link 60 downwardly which tends to rotate L-shaped link 64 counterclockwise about pivot 66. Rotation of link 64 serves to exert a downward force on post 74 by means of interconnecting cross-link 72. Downward movement of post 74 serves to displace trip lever 76 away from clutch ring 46 whereby lever end 82 disengages from ring shoulder 84 thereby permitting said ring 46 to rotate counterclockwise about pin 48, under the influence of spring 54, into engaging relation with ratchet 52. Clutch ring 46 is thus driven by ratchet 52 which, in turn, drives clutch disc 44 and the shaft 18 which is connected to said disc.

Engagement of the clutch assembly causes clutch ring 46 and clutch disc 44 to rotate counterclockwise whereby lever ends 82 and 90 ride on the peripheral edges of ring 46 and disc 44, respectively, until lever end 82 again engages with ring shoulder 84 thereby moving said ring clockwise and out of engaging relation with ratchet 52. Disengagement of the clutch assembly stops rotation of shaft 18. The orientation of disc shoulder 92 relative to ring shoulder 84 is such that upon engagement of lever end 82 with ring shoulder 84, the clutch assembly comes to rest with lever end 90 juxtaposed to disc shoulder 92. Lever end 90 is drawn downwardly or counterclockwise under influence of spring 94 into engaging relation with disc shoulder 92 to prevent backward rotation of clutch disc 44 and of the clutch assembly. The aforesaid operation is readily identified in the trade as a single revolution clutch which serves to intermittently rotate shaft 18, which, in turn, drives the combined forming and driving bar assembly of the apparatus in the manner hereinafter described.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, numeral represents the novel combined forming and driving bar assembly of the present invention operatively driven by shaft 18 through hub 22 and interconnecting linkage. In this regard, hub 22 includes a through-opening eccentrically located relative to the center of the hub and adapted to receive one end of a pin 102. The other end of the eccentrically mounted pin 102 projects outwardly of hub 22 and is received in through-opening 104 located in one end of link 106. The other end of link 106 also has a through-opening 108 adapted to receive one end of pin 110. Spaced through-openings 104 and 108 have their respective longitudinally extending axes in parallel and vertically aligned relation with respect to the orientation of said link 106 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The other end of pin 110 is disposed to be received within through-opening 112 of elongated driver slide 114. The interconnecting arrangement is such that slide 114 is guided longitudinally in a groove of support frame I2 for reciprocal movement upon rotation of hub 22.

Projecting outwardly from one side of slide 114 is a pin 115 adapted to be in operative contacting realtion with the hitch feed assembly of the apparatus, hereinafter described, for intermittently advancing a flat metal strip to the connector forming and driving bar station. The surface of slide 114 facing hub 22 is formed with an extended, openended slot 116 located intermediate the longitudinal ends of the slide and extending transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof. The same surface is also formed with a pair of laterally spaced slots 118 and 120 extending longitudinally of slide 114. Each of said slots 118 and 120 is located with its upper end in open communication with transverse slot 116 and with the lower end thereof closed and spaced from the bottom end of slide 114. The said bottom end of slide 114 is also formed with an openended slot 122 located intermediate the sides thereof. The lower side portions of slide 114 openly communicate with slot 122 by means of aligned through-openings extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the slide. Slot 122 is adapted to receive one end of elongated driver bar 124 which is formed having a through-opening therein. The arrangement is such that when driver bar 124 is in place, the end through-opening thereof is in alignment with the lower side through-openings of slide 114, whereuponpin 126 serves to maintain said slide 114 and bar 124 in interconnecting relation. The lower end 128 of bar 124 is arcuately shaped, as illustrated in FIG. 14, and serves to drive a connector member in the direction toward a cavity support to crimp around the bare ends of adjacently located wires previously positioned within the cavity. It will be appreciated that reciprocal movement of slide 114 similarly causes connected driver bar 124 to move together therewith.

Operatively associated with slide 114 is a combined cutter block assembly and bending bar means including an elongated bifurcated member 130 having aligned through-openings 132 formed in the upper side portions of upstanding legs 134 and 136. Projecting outwardly from the faces of legs 134 and 136, in the direction away from hub 22, are a pair of laterally spaced posts 138 and 140, respectively. Posts 138 and 140 are adapted to be received within the spaced vertical extending slots 118 and 120, respectively, of elongated slide 114 in the assembly of the apparatus. Also disposed within said slots 118 and 120, are a pair of compression springs 142 and 144, respectively, each of which has its lower end bearing against the associated post and its upper end bearing against an upper wall surface of transverse slot 116.

Disposed between upstanding legs 134 and 136 is a catch member 146 having a through-opening 148 located in alignment with spaced through-openings 132 for receiving a pin (not shown) therethrough. The arrangement is such that catch member 146 is pivotally mounted on bifurcated member 130, and is formed having a shoulder portion 150 which passes between the upstanding legs 134 and 136 and into normally engaging relation with an upper wall surface of transverse catch slot 116 in a region intermediate springs 142 and 144. In this regard, the surface of catch member 146 adjacent and immediately below shoulder portion 150 is inclined downwardly and inwardly allowing catch member 146 to rotate freely into its engaging relation with catch slot 116. It will be appreciated, that engagement of catch member 146 with catch slot 116 serves to couple the cutter block assembly to the driver slide 114 whereby downward movement of slide 114 similarly drives normally connected bifurcated member 130 therewith.

Catch member 146 is also formed with a second through-opening adapted to receive one end of a pin 152. The other end of pin 152 projects outwardly beyond the side surface of catch member 146 and is received within a roller 154. The location of pin 152 is such that the longitudinal axis thereof is spaced below the axis of through-opening 148 and extends parallel thereto. Roller 154 is operatively connected to a roller guide block which serves to pivot catch member 146 away from slide 114, in a manner hereinafter described, whereby shoulder 150 disengages from slot 116 thereby operatively disconnecting the cutter block assembly from the driver slide 114, and precluding further movement thereof relative to the continued downward movement of slide 114.

Bifurcated member 130 also includes a pair of laterally spaced elongated guide bars 156 and 158 mounted on a surface thereof facing away from hub 22. The arrangement is such that guide bars 156 and 158 are located on the same facial side of member 130 as are located posts 138 and 140. Guide bars 156 and 158 are further located spacedly below said posts and are disposed to receive and guide tha driver bar 124 therebetween. In this regard, the opposed inner sides of guide bars 156 and 158 are each slotted longitudinally thereof to define a channel or track 160 through which passes the lower protion of driver bar 124. As will be more fully explained in detailing the operation of the apparatus, the lower end 128 of bar 124 is normally located within track 160 and spaced above the lower end thereof when the cutter block assembly is engaged with the driver slide 114 for conjoint movement therewith. However, after the metal strip is cut to a predetermined length and draped over an anvil to form the staple or connector member (the said connector being received within track 160) the driver bar end 128 serves to dispense the same downwardly out of track 160 and in the direction of a cavity to ultimately crimp around the bare ends of two wires previously positioned therein.

The lower surface portion 159 of bifurcated member 130 facing toward hub 22 is formed having an elongated recessed portion or slotted groove 161, illustrated in FIGS. 8-13, extending longitudinally of the member and located intermediate the ends thereof. Recessed portion 161 is adapted to cooperate with an anvil structure in displacing the anvil out of its normally disposed operating position during the crimping operation of the connector member as will become apparent hereinafter.

Guide bars 156 and 158 also function as bending bars for forming a severed metal strip into the connector member. In this regard, the outer side edge of bar 156 is formed having alternating ribs and grooves 162 which engage with mating ribs and grooves 164 on an end edge of an elongated wire guide block 166 mounted on frame 12 of the apparatus. The arrangement enables block 166 to be adjustably mounted to the frame by means of a screw (not shown) passing through an elongated aperture 168 of the block. The side surface of block 166 facing away from hub 22 is formed having a slotted opening 170 extending the longitudinal extent thereof which is fed the flat metal strip. Downward movement of bar 156 relative to fixed block 166 causes the lower bar edge 172 to sever a blank from the remainder of the metal strip, whereupon continued downward movement of bending bars 156 and 158 serve to drape the severed blank over the anvil to form the staple or connector member.

The guide or bending bars 156 and 158 cooperate with an elongated roller guide block 174 previously referred to generally in connection with the description of roller 154. Block 174 is fixedly mounted on frame 12 of the apparatus by means of screws or the like, not shown, passing through openings 176. The surface of block 174 adjacent to catch member 146 is formed with an elongated slot 178 which extends downwardly from the top edge thereof approximately one-third the longitudinal extent of the block, and is then inclined downwardly and inwardly in the direction of hub 22. The width of slot 178 is slightly greater than the diameter of roller 154 thereby permitting said roller to move along the length of said slot without binding.

Located on the same surface of block 174 and below the inclined slot 178 is an anvil member 182 pivotally mounted thereto. In this regard, block 174 further includes an opening disposed to receive a pin or other fastening member, not shown, which passes through an aligned opening 184 in anvil member 182. The lower end of member 182 is connected to an anvil arm 186 having a face portion 188 projecting outwardly beyond the end of anvil member 182 in the direction away from hub 22. The arrangement is such that anvil member 182 is pivotally mounted to fixed roller guide block 174 whereby face portion 188 is normally positioned below bending bars 156 and 158 and located to fit between said bending bars upon downward movement of bifurcated member 130.1n the anvil operative position aforesaid described, a leg portion 190 of anvil member 182 is in abutting contact with the lower rear surface 159 of bifurcated member 130, as illustrated in FIGS. 8-13, to prevent counterclockwise rotation of the anvil relative to bending bars 156 and 158. It shall be noted, however, that the anvil may be constructed and suitably positioned to have other portions thereof in abutting contact with surface 159 to prevent counterclockwise rotation of the anvil while in its operate position. Accordingly, the utilization of leg portion 190 to prevent such counterclockwise rotation is merely illustrative of one specific embodiment of said anvil structure and is not to be deemed a limitation on the present invention. It will be further appreciated that the pivotal mounting of anvil member 182 is such that it is disposed in its normally operative position without benefit of any spring biasing means, or the like, which spring biasing means is an inefficient characteristic of heretofore known wire splicing machines.

Positioned below driver slide 114 is a cavity supporting block 192 mounted on frame 12 of the apparatus. Block 192 may be adjustably mounted to the frame by means of a screw (not shown) passing through an elongated aperture 194 of the block. Fine adjustment of block 192 is effected by means of screw member 196 having its threaded end engaging with the bottom of block 192 and an enlarged nut head end 198 in abutting contact with frame 12. The top end of support block 192 is stepped to define a first recess 200 and second lower recess 202 interconnected by step 204. A cavity plate 206 rests on step 204 and projects upwardly beyond the top edge of block 192. The width of cavity plate 206 is substantially equal to the width of step 204. Recessed surface 202 is formed having a drilled and tapped hole 208. Cavity plate 206 is firmly held in place by means of cover bracket 210 which spans the juncture of recesses 200 and 202 and overlaps adjacent surface portions of recess 202 and cavity plate 206. Bracket 210 is formed having a throughopening 212 and is secured to block 192 by means of a bolt (not shown) passing through aligned openings 208 and 212.

The top surface of cavity plate 206 is formed having a centrally located U-shaped cavity recess 214 including two concavely arcuate face portions 216 and 218 joined by ridge 220 as illustrated in FIG. 17. The pposed walls of cavity recess 214 taper outwardly to ward the open end thereof. Arcuate face portions 216 and 218 are adapted to receive the respective bare ends of two wires about which the connector member is driven by means of driver bar 124. In this regard, cavity plate 206 is vertically aligned relative to slide 114 so that driver bar 124 moves downwardly in the direction of recess 214, but does not enter the recess itself.

A reel 222 is rotatably mounted on frame 12 by means of arm support 224 and dispenses a flat metal strip 226 over an arcuate guide plate 228 and through a hitch feed assembly represented generally by numeral 230. Metal strip 226 is then fed through a metal tube or sleeve 232 leading to the combined forming and driving bar assembly. Sleeve 232 is supported at its discharge end by a clamp 234 fixed to frame 12 by means of screw 236.

Hitch feed assembly 230 includes a hitch plate 238 mounted to frame 12 by means of bolt 240 and pivot pin 242. Plate 238 is adjustably mounted to the frame by means of bolt 240 passing through an elongated aperture 244 in the plate and threadedly engaging with a selected one of spaced tapped holes 246 located in frame 12. Fine adjustment of plate 238 is effected by screw means 248 consisting of a swivel member 250 loosely mounted in a complementary shaped recess in frame 12. Swivel 250 includes a central opening through which passes an elongated threaded member or screw 252. The lower end of screw 252 terminates in an eye bolt member 254 secured to the side of plate 238 by means of bolt 256. The other end of screw 252 passes through a spacer sleeve 258 positioned above swivel 250 and threadedly receives knurled nut 260 thereon. A tension spring 262 is provided having one end connected to a post 264 on frame 12 and the other end connected to a post 266 on hitch feed assembly 230. When bolt 240 is loosened during adjustment of plate 238, spring 262 exerts an upward force on said plate 238 against the operation of screw member 248. The arrangement is such that rotation of knurled nut 260 causes screw 252 to move upwardly or downwardly, depending on the direction of rotation of said nut 260, which, in turn, results in plate 238 rotating upwardly or downwardly, respectively, about pivot 242. Bolt 240 is tightened after the fine adjustment of plate 238 is completed. Thus, hitch feed plate 238 may be considered fixed" or stationary in describing the operation of the assembly.

Mounted on plate 238 is a housing 268 in which is supported a pair of laterally spaced rollers 270 and 272, as illustrated in FIG. 5, disposed for movement along inclined walls 274 and 276 projecting inwardly of housing 268 from the rear surface thereof. Walls 274 and 276 are inclined downwardly and in diverging relation to each other to define a track whereby downward movement of rollers 270 and 272 along said inclined walls 274 and 276, respectively, serves to displace said rollers away from each other. The front of housing 268 is covered by a roller retainer plate 278 pivotally mounted thereto by means of pin 280. Projecting inwardly of housing 268 from the undersurface of re tainer plate 278 are two pairs of longitudinally spaced and aligned guide posts 282 and 284, which guide the movement of rollers 270 and 272, respectively, during operation of the hitch feed assembly. .In this regard, the space between aligned posts 282 is such as to receive roller 270 therebetween. Similarly, the space between aligned posts 284 receive roller 272 therebetween. Furthermore, the pair of posts 282 are laterally spaced and aligned with the adjacent pair of posts 284. The structure is such that rollers 270 and 272 are located in laterally spaced and aligned relation to each other and are suitably guided by the pairs of posts 282 and 284 such that the opposed surfaces of said rollers are normally in gripping contacting relation to flat metal strip 226 passing therebetween.

The end of retainer plate 278 distant from pivot 280 is formed with a lip 286 extending from the top edge of the plate and projecting inwardly of housing 268. Supported within housing 268 is a compression spring 288 having one end received within housing recess 290 and the other end disposed in contacting relation to the undersurface of lip 286. The arrangement is such that spring 288 normally exerts a force upwardly on lip 286 tending to rotate retainer plate 278 clockwise about pivot 280. Rotation of plate 278 serves to displace rollers 270 and 272 upwardly and along inclined walls 274 and 276, respectively, by means of the associated pairs of guide posts 282 and 284. Upward displacement of rollers 270 and 272 also serves to displace the said rollers toward each other, in view of the inclination of walls 274 and 276, whereupon said rollers thus normally frictionally engage with interposed metal strip 226 to prevent any movement thereof.

When a downward force is exerted on metal strip 226 by means of the movable hitch plate of the feed assembly hereinafter described, a downward force is also exerted by the strip on rollers 270 and 272 against the force of spring 288 tending to displace the rollers downwardly and along inclined walls 274 and 276 by means of the pairs of guide posts 282 and 284. Such movement also displaces the rollers away from each other and out of contacting relation with metal strip 226 thereby permitting said strip to pass feeely through housing 268.

Movement of metal strip 226 relative to rollers 270 and 272 may also be effected by manually depressing the top of retainer plate 278, against the force of spring 288, which serves to displace rollers 270 and 272 downwardly under influence of gravity. Downward movement of said rollers is effected along inclined walls 274 and 276 by means of the pairs of guide posts 282 and 284 which serves to displace said rollers away from each other and out of contacting relation with metal strip 226.

It will be appreciated that upward or retracted movement of metal strip 226 is prevented during the forming and driving of the connector during the staple forming operation by means of the normally contacting and gripping engagement of rollers 270 and 272 with metal strip 226. For example, any force tending to move strip 226 upwardly, without the operator first depressing retainer plate 278 against the force of spring 288 and rotating said plate about pivot 280, will also exert a force upwardly on rollers 270 and 272 resulting in displacement of said rollers upwardly and along inclined walls 274 and 276, in the manner heretofore described, into increased gripping relation with said strip 226 to prevent upward or retracted movement thereof.

Referring to FIG. 5, hitch feed assembly 230 further includes a movable hitch plate 292 spaced below fixed hitch plate 238 and operatively connected thereto through pivot pin 242. The end of plate 292 closer to pivot 242 is formed with a through-open opening which received one end of a pin 294. The other end of pin 294 projects outwardly of plate 292 and is received within a roller 296 adapted to be in contact bearing relation to pin 115 of driver slide 114 for feeding metal strip 226 to the connector forming and driving station of the apparatus. A tension spring 298 is provided having one end connected to a post 300 on plate 292 and the other end connected to a post 302 on frame 12. Spring 298 exerts a force on plate 292 tending to rotate the plate clockwise about pivot 242 in the direction of fixed plate 238. Projecting upwardly from the top edge of plate 292 is a stud 304 having a shaft 306 received within a recessed opening in plate 292. Stud 304 serves as a stop member to limit the movement of hitch plate 292 relative to fixed hitch plate 238. In this regard, it will be appreciated that upward movement of driver slide 114 causes pin 115 to exert a force upwardly on roller 296 which serves to rotate hitch plate 292 counterclockwise about pivot 242 against the force of spring 298. Conversely, when driver slide is advanced downwardly, pin 1 15 disengages from roller 296 whereupon spring 298 serves to rotate plate 292 clockwise about pivot 242 back to its original start position. Upon clockwise rotation of plate 292 in the direction of fixed hitch plate 238, the top surface of stud 304 comes into contacting relation with a lower surface portion of fixed plate housing 268 to stop further rotation of movable plate 292 and maintain said plates 238 and 292 in spaced relation to one another.

Mounted on movable plate 292 is a housing similar in structure to that heretofore described in connection with housing 268 of fixed plate 238. Accordingly, those structural details of the respective housings common to each other are designated by the same reference numerals, with the added distinction that the corresponding structural details of the housing on movable plate 292 includes the prime designation after the reference number.

Thus, housing 268' similarly supports a pair of laterally spaced rollers 270' and 272' disposed for movement along inclined walls 274' and 276' defining a track projecting inwardly thereof. The inclination of walls 270' and 272' correspond to that described in connection with inclined walls 270 and 272 of housing 268. A roller retainer plate 278' covers housing 268' and is pivotally mounted to the housing by pin 280'. Retainer plate 278' similarly includes the two pairs of guide posts 282 and 284 which are located to guide movement of rollers 270 and 272' in a manner corresponding to that described in connecwith with rollers 270, 272 and posts 282, 284. Retainer plate 278 is also formed with inwardly projecting lip 286' which cooperates with a compression spring 288' supported within housing 268' to normally exert a force upwardly on lip 286' tending to rotate plate 278' clockwise about pivot 280'. The operative relationship of the aforesaid components within 268 corresponds to that heretofore described in connection with the similar components within housing 268 so that a detailed operative description thereof is not deemed necessary.

Associated with hitch feed assembly 230 is a novel quick release lever member 308 operatively connected to roller retainer plate 278' for more effectively controlling the movement of metal strip 226 through the assembly and removing said strip as required. The difficulty in removing metal strip or wire from heretofore known hitch feed mechanisms is that the operator is required to use one hand to simultaneously depress both retainer plates 278 and 278' to disengage rollers 270, 272 and 270', 272' respectively, out of gripping contact with interposed metal strip 226. At the same time that retainer plates 278 and 278' are depressed, the other hand may now freely move the strip upwardly for removal from the apparatus. It will be appreciated that the use of one hand to simultaneously depress both plates 278 and 278' is extremely difficult even where the hitch plates 238 and 292 are closely spaced to each other, and is practically impossible when movable hitch plate 292 is spaced away from fixed hitch plate 238 in the position illustrated in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 7 and 7A, lever member 308 is operatively connected to a shaft 310 which is adapted to be received within a complementary shaped opening in movable hitch plate 292. Shaft 310 includes an eccentrically mounted camming member 312 which is adapted to be received within an enlarged opening 314 of roller retainer plate 278', and in contacting relation to an arcuate surface portion thereof. The mounting arrangement is such that rotation of lever member 308 counterclockwise causes camming member 312 to exert a force downwardly on roller retainer plate 278' tending to similarly rotate said plate counterclockwise about pivot 280' against the force of spring 288, whereupon rollers 270 and 272 are, in turn, displaced out of gripping contact with metal strip 226. It will be appreciated that rotation of lever 308 in the manner described above will also serve to maintain retainer plate 278' in its depressed position thereby freeing both of the operators hands for use in manually depressing the roller retainer plate 278 of fixed hitch plate 238 with one hand and removing the free metal strip 226 from the hitch feed assembly with the other hand. After strip 224 is reinserted or adjusted in hitch feed assembly 230, lever 308 is then rotated clockwise removing the downward force heretofore exerted on retainer plate 278', whereupon spring 288' displaces said plate upwardly causing rollers 270' and 272 to again frictionally engage with interposed metal strip 226. If desired, a similar quick release lever member could be operatively connected to the roller retainer plate 278 of fixed hitch plate 238. The operation is such that lever member 308 may be considered, in general, as disabling means for permitting movement of the roller members toward the diverging end of the track defined by walls 274' and 276' thereby releasing the interposed metal strip for movement.

In describing. the operation of hitch feed assembly 230, the spaced relation between fixed plate 238 and movable plate 292 is such that they are substantially parallel to each other when the apparatus is inoperative and during the forming and driving operations. Metal strip 228 is manually fed through the hitch feed assembly 230 and is guided by metal sleeve 232 to pass through slot 170 of guide block 166. Continued advancement of strip 228 may now be effected by engaging the clutch assembly, in the manner heretofore described, to rotate hub 22 clockwise, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 8A.

As previously noted, the start-stop position of clutch assembly 42 is illustrated in FIG. 3, and the corresponding position of the combined forming and driving bar assembly is illustrated in FIG. 8. Rotation of hub 22 serves to move drive slide 1 14 upwardly whereupon pin 115 engages with roller 296 tending to rotate movable hitch plate 292 counterclockwise about pivot 242 and against the force of spring 298. counterclockwise rotation of hitch plate 292 displaces rollers 270' and 272 upwardly into increased gripping contact with interposed metal strip 226, whereby the continued counterclockwise rotation of plate 292 serves to pull the strip downwardly through fixed hitch plate 238 and to feed the same through guide block 166. Counterclockwise rotation of plate 292 continues until driver slide 114 reaches the top of its stroke as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 9A.

Continued rotation of hub 22 now serves to move driver slide 114 downwardly, as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 10A, whereupon pin 115 disengages from roller 296 permitting movable hitch plate 292 to rotate clockwise to its original position under the influence of spring 298. It will be appreciated that such rotation of plate 292 has no effect on strip 226 in view of the dis placement of rollers 270 and 272' out of gripping contact with the strip. Furthermore, it is apparent that strip 226 is automatically fed downwardly through the hitch feed assembly only when driver slide 114 moves upwardly. In addition, the length of strip 226 intermittently fed through the hitch feed assembly during the upward stroke of driver 114 is a function of the distance separating the respective plates 238 and 292 when pin 115 is disengaged from roller 296 and the hitch feed assembly is inoperative.

In describing the connector forming and driving operation of the apparatus, reference is made to FIGS. 10-19 of the drawings wherein it is assumed that metal strip 226 has been repeatedly indexed such that the free end thereof is in contacting relation to stop bracket 316, as noted in FIGS. 1 and 14. Downward movement of driver slide 114 carries bifurcated member with it in view of the coupling arrangement effected by means of catch member 146 with transverse slot 116. Downward movement of bifurcated member 130 to the position illustrated in FIG. 10 causes a blank to be severed from strip 228 by means of the shearing action of bending bar edge 172 and block edge 164. In this regard, FIG. 14 illustrates the blank about to be severed from strip 228.

Continued downward movement of bending bars 156 and 158 to the position illustrated in FIG. 11 causes the severed blank to be draped over anvil arm 186, as illustrated in FIG. 15, to form the staple connector member 318 represented in FIG. 16. In this regard, the width of the anvil face portion is less than the length of the severed blank whereby the blank material extends beyond the side edges of the anvil on each side thereof. It will be appreciated that during the aforesaid downward movement of slide 114, catch member 146 is engaged within transverse slot 116 whereby catch roller 154 rides downwardly within the top portion of slot 178 of roller guide block 174. Furthermore, anvil leg portion 190 is in contacting relation to surface 159 of member 130 to prevent counterclockwise rotation thereof during the draping of the severed blank thereover. It will be further appreciated that the end of driver bar 124 is sufficiently spaced from anvil arm 186 during the connector forming operation to not interfere with the formation thereof. FIG. 11 illustrates the position of anvil 182 relative to the bending bar assembly immediately after the connector forming operation whereby the anvil leg 190 is almost in alignment with the lower edge of recessed groove 161.

Continued downward movement of slide 114 to the position illustrated in FIG. 12 causes catch roller 154 to enter the inclined portion of slot 178 thereby rotating catch 146 counterclockwise about pivot 132. Rotation of catch 146 serves to displace said catch away from slide 114 thereby disengaging catch shoulder from transverse slot 116. Notwithstanding the disengagement of catch member 146 from slide 114, the continued downward movement of slide 114 also serves to downwardly displace the associated and bifurcated member 130 due to the downward biasing force exerted by springs 142 and 144 on the projecting posts of leg 134 and 136, respectively. Referring again to FIG. 12, the unrestrained downward movement of bifurcated member 130 causes the bottom edge thereof to bear against anvil arm 186. The anvil leg is now located adjacent to recessed groove 161 and, thus, is no longer disposed in contacting relation with surface 159 of member 130 to prevent rotation of anvil 182. Accordingly, anvil 182 is free to rotate counterclockwise about its pivot point under the influence of continued downward movement of member 130. The aforesaid rotation of anvil 182 is effected by means of anvil leg 190 being received within recessed groove 161 during the rotation thereof. Rotation of anvil 182 serves to displace arm 186 away from bending bars 156 and 158 permitting driver bar 124 to drive the formed connector member 318 toward the cavity supporting block 192.

Continued downward movement of slide 114 to the position illustrated in FIG. 13 causes the bottom ends of bending bars 156 and 158 to bear against spaced top surface portions of cavity plate 206 whereby further downward movement of said bars is restrained. It will be appreciated that bending bars 156 and 158 also serve as guide bars for guiding the movement of formed connector member 318 in the direction toward cavity plate 206. In this regard, the spaced bars 156 and 158 retain the staple or connector member 318 therebetween after the forming thereof and confine said connector member therebetween during the driving operation. Continued downward movement of slide 114 is now effected relative to stationary bifurcated member 130 against the force of springs 142 and 144. In other words, since further movement of bars 156 and 158 is arrested, the loose connection between bifurcated member 130 and slide 114, via the posts 138 and 140 and the respective elongated slots 118 and 120, permits movement of the slide 114 relative to the member 130, and, thus, to the bars 156 and 158. Such continued movement causes driver bar end 128 to displace connector member 318 downwardly between guide bars 156 and 158 into the cavity recess 214 as illustrated in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18. The cavity side walls 216 and 218 guide the side edges of connector 318 about the bare ends of adjacently located wires 320 and 322 during the driving operation, and in crimping relation thereto to form the wire splice 324 illustrated in FIG. 19. It will be appreciated that wires 320 and 322 were previously positioned within cavity recess 214 prior to the driving operation.

Upon completion of the driving operation, driver slide 114 is in its lowermost position as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 13A. Thereafter, continued rotation of hub 22 serves to move driver slide 114 upwardly, which, in turn, carries with it bifurcated member 130. Upward movement of slide 114 and member 130 causes the lower edge of recess 161 to bear against anvil leg portion 190 which serves to rotate anvil 182 clockwise about its pivot point, whereupon it resumes its original operative position for the next cycle of the apparatus. Similarly, upward movement of member 130 causes catch roller 154 to be guided upwardly along slot 178 whereupon it rotates clockwise about its pivot point causing catch shoulder 150 to again engage with transverse slot 116. At this point, clutch assembly 42 disengages whereby the components of said assembly are in the position illustrated in FIG. 3, and the components of the combined connector forming and driving bar assembly are in the positions illustrated in FIG. 8. The apparatus is now ready to repeat its cycle.

In reviewing the overall operation described above, the combined forming and driving bar assembly can be considered, in general, as forming means comprising bending means and driving means connected together for conjoint movement from a rest position to an operate position. The bending means cooperates with the anvil to form the connector member whereupon the anvil is then pivotally moved to its inoperative position. The bending means and driving means are then unlatched to permit relative movement therebetween whereupon the driving means moves the formed staple or connector member into the cavity.

It is now apparent that the line of force of the combined forming and driving bar assembly is as close as possible to the large main hub or bearing 22, which permits a higher force to be transmitted to the said assembly. The higher force permits the formation of an extruded or elongated splice, as may be required in any given application of use. The apparatus has relatively fewer components as compared to the known wire splicing apparatus and should, thus, be subject to less frequent repair. It should also be noted that the wire splice is formed without having the driver bar 124 enter any portion of the cavity recess 214.

Control and adjustment of the metal strip 228 relative to the hitch feed assembly 230 is simplified, and access to the working area is improved. In this regard, support frame 12 is inclined somewhat, as illustrated in FIG. 1 to facilitate ready access to the hitch-feed assembly and the cavity support block.

The anvil member 182 is retained in its operative position by means of the abutting contacting relation of anvil leg with surface 159, which constitutes a positive locking feature for preventing movement of the anvil during formation of the connector member. The anvil is thus operative without having to rely on inefficient spring biasing means, which, in turn, eliminates a frequent source of breakdown in the known wire splicing apparatus.

While the above apparatus has been disclosed and illustrated with respect to splicing two or more wires together, it is to be understood that the aforesaid specific application of use is not to be considered a limitation on the invention. In this regard, the disclosed apparatus may find applications of use in areas other than splicing wires together. For example, the apparatus of the present invention is equally adapted for stapling the halves of zipper construction together whereby the formed staple or connector provides both the means for connecting the zipper construction together and also the stop member for the slider mechanism.

Accordingly, while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be readily understood and appreciated that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. A stapling apparatus comprising:

a. a support frame b. an open-ended cavity member mounted on said support, said cavity member having a predetermined shape for receiving and guiding a staple about the elements to be stapled;

c. indexing means on said support for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple-forming station;

d. a forming member on said support movable from a rest position wherein said forming member is spaced from said cavity member to an operate position wherein at least a portion of said forming member is juxtaposed to said cavity member;

e. an anvil at said staple-forming station having a face portion adapted to receive said staple material thereon, the width of said face portion being substantially less than the predetermined length of said staple material whereby said staple material extends beyond the edges of said anvil on each side thereof, said anvil being movable from an operate position wherein said anvil is in the path of movement of said forming member to an inoperable position wherein said anvil is spaced from the path of movement from said forming member;

f. said forming member comprising bending means movable with respect to said staple forming station for engaging and bending the staple material about said anvil and for retaining the staple therein, and 

1. A stapling apparatus comprising: a. a support frame b. an open-ended cavity member mounted on said support, said cavity member having a predetermined shape for receiving and guiding a staple about the elements to be stapled; c. indexing means on said support for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple-forming station; d. a forming member on said support movable from a rest position wherein said forming member is spaced from said cavity member to an operate position wherein at least a portion of said forming member is juxtaposed to said cavity member; e. an anvil at said staple-forming station having a face portion adapted to receive said staple material thereon, the width of said face portion being substantially less than the predetermined length of said staple material whereby said staple material extends beyond the edges of said anvil on each side thereof, said anvil being movable from an operate position wherein said anvil is in the path of movement of said forming member to an inoperable position wherein said anvil is spaced from the path of movement from said forming member; f. said forming member comprising bending means movable with respect to said staple-forming station for engaging and bending the staple material about said anvil and for retaining the staple therein, and driving means movable between a first position and A second position whereby said driving means moves relative to said bending means to move the staple out of said bending means into said cavity as said driving means moves to said second position; g. latching means for connecting said bending and driving means together for conjoint movement; h. unlatching means responsive to the movement of said bending means to a preselected position in its path of movement for disengaging said latching means to permit movement of said driving means relative to said bending means from the first to the second position; i. disengaging means for moving said anvil to the inoperable position after said staple is formed; j. and selectively operable actuating means for sequentially operating said indexing means and for moving said forming member from said rest to said operate positions.
 2. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said bending means comprises a bending bar support, connecting means movably connecting said support to said driving means, and opposed laterally spaced bending bars defining a channel therebetween, said bending bars being sized and positioned to receive said anvil face in said channel as said bending means passes said staple-forming station, whereby said bending bars engage the portions of the staple material extending beyond the edges of said anvil and bend said portions downwardly as said forming member moves to said operate position, said formed staple being retained in said channel.
 3. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said driving means comprises a driving bar received in said channel, said driving bar being spaced above the bottom of said channel when said driving means is in said first position.
 4. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said driving means is provided with at least an elongated slot, a mating projection on said bending means received in said elongated slot and movable in said slot to permit movement of said driving means from said first to said second position relative to said bending means, said latching means comprising a catch slot in one of said driving means and said bending means, and a pivotable catch member on the other of said driving and bending means pivotable into and out of said catch slot whereby said catch member latches said bending and driving means together for conjoint movement when said catch member is received in said catch slot.
 5. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said unlatching means comprises a track mounted on said support and positioned to engage and pivot said catch member out of said catch slot after said bending means has formed said staple to disconnect said bending means from said driving means and permit relative movement therebetween.
 6. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 5, and biasing means between said driving means and said bending means for maintaining said driving means in said first position until the movement of said bending means is arrested.
 7. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 2, and pivot means pivotally mounting said anvil on said support for movement between said operate and inoperable positions, said anvil having a forwardly projecting portion received in said channel when said anvil is in said operate position, said projection portion including a surface defining said anvil face.
 8. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said disengaging means comprises a projecting leg on said anvil in abutment with said bending bar support to maintain said anvil in said operate position, a recess in said bending bar support positioned to receive said projecting leg therein after said bending means forms said staple to permit pivoting of said anvil to the inoperable position.
 9. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said actuating means comprises a selectively rotatable shaft on said support, an enlarged diameter hub connected to said shaft and rotatable therewith, a pin received in said hub and offset with respect to the center, and a link connecting said pin with said forming member whereby the rotational motion of said hub is translated into linear movement of said forming member.
 10. A stapling apparatus as in claim 1, in which said predetermined length of staple-forming material is supplied from a reel of flat wire adapted to be rotatably mounted on said support, and said indexing means comprises a first hitch feed means adapted to receive said wire therethrough for permitting movement of the wire in only a first direction, and second hitch feed means adapted to receive the wire therethrough for permitting movement of the wire in only said first direction, means mounting said first and second hitch feed means on said support for relative movement therebetween to move one of said first and second hitch feed means in said first direction to supply said predetermined length of staple-forming material to said staple-forming station.
 11. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said indexing means further comprises cutters on said forming member and said support cooperable with each other for severing said predetermined length of stapling material from the reel of flat wire.
 12. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and second hitch feed means comprises a plurality of contact members adapted to receive the wire therebetween, a converging track receiving said contact members therein, biasing means for biasing said contact members toward the converging end of said track whereby said contact members engage and retain the wire therebetween, and disabling means for manually moving said contact members toward the diverging end of said track to release the wire.
 13. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said disabling means comprises an eccentric cam engageable with said biasing means for disabling said contact member biasing means.
 14. A stapling apparatus comprising: a. a support frame; b. an open-ended cavity member mounted on said support, said cavity having a predetermined shape for receiving and guiding a staple about the elements to be stapled; c. indexing means on said support for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple-forming station; d. forming means on said support movable from a rest position wherein said forming means is spaced from said cavity member to an operate position wherein at least a portion of said forming means is juxtaposed to said cavity member; e. an anvil at said staple-forming station having a face portion adapted to receive said staple material thereon, the width of said face portion being substantially less than the predetermined length of said staple material whereby said staple material extends beyond the edges of said anvil on each side thereof, said anvil being movable from a first position wherein said anvil is positioned in the path of movement of said forming means to a second position wherein said anvil is spaced from the path of movement of said forming means; f. said forming means comprising bending means movable past staple-forming station for engaging and bending the staple material about said anvil when said anvil is in said first position and for retaining the staple therein, and driving means movable between a first position and a second position to move the staple out of said bending means into said cavity and about the elements to be stapled as said driving means moves to said second position; g. holding means for maintaining said anvil in said first position during the staple-forming operation; h. release means responsive to movement of said forming means to a preselected point in its path of travel for releasing said anvil to permit movement of said anvil to said second position; i. and selectively operable actuating means for sequentially operating said indexing means and for moving said forming means from said rest to said operate positions.
 15. A stapling aPparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said preselected point in the path of movement of said forming means corresponds to movement of said bending means beyond said staple-forming station.
 16. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said holding means comprises an outwardly projecting leg on said anvil in abutment with said forming means as said forming means moves from said first to said preselected point to maintain said anvil in said first position.
 17. A stapling apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said release means comprises a recess in said forming means adapted to receive said anvil projection therein as said forming means passes said staple-forming station to permit movement of said anvil to said second position.
 18. A mechanism for permitting travel of a material received therein in a preselected direction only, comprising: a. a support; b. a converging track on said support; c. a plurality of contact members movable on said track adapted to receive the material therebetween; d. biasing means for biasing said plurality of contact members toward the converging end of said track to force said contact members into intimate gripping contact with the material; and e. disabling means movable on said support for disabling said biasing means to permit movement of said plurality of contact members toward the diverging end of said track, whereby said contact members release the material for movement.
 19. A mechanism as recited in claim 18, and means for pivotally mounting said mechanism on an associated apparatus, whereby pivoting of said mechanism in said preselected direction causes said contact members to engage and move said material in said preselected direction; and movement of said mechanism in a direction opposite to said preselected direction permits movement of said contact members toward the diverging end of said track, whereby said contact members are disengaged from said material.
 20. A mechanism as recited in claim 19, wherein said biasing means comprises a plate, projections on said plate engageable with said contact members to move said contact members, and a spring connecting said plate and said support to bias said plate in a direction to cause said projections to engage and move said contact members toward the converging end of said track.
 21. A mechanism as recited in claim 19, wherein said disabling means comprises an aperture in said plate; an eccentric cam rotatably received through said aperture; a mating cam surface on said plate engageable with said cam when said cam is rotated from a first to a second position to move said plate against the bias of said spring, whereby said projections are moved away from the converging end of said track to permit said plurality of contact members to move toward the diverging end of said track.
 22. A stapling apparatus comprising: a. a support frame b. an open-ended cavity member mounted on said support, said cavity member having a predetermined shape for receiving and guiding a staple about the elements to be stapled; c. indexing means on said support for intermittently feeding material of a predetermined length from which a staple is formed to a staple-forming station; d. a forming member on said support movable from a rest position wherein said forming member is spaced from said cavity member to an operate position wherein at least a portion of said forming member is juxtaposed to said cavity member; e. cooperating cutting means on said support frame and said forming member for severing the material from which the staple is formed into said predetermined length during movement of said forming member to said operate position. f. an anvil at said staple-forming station having a face portion adapted to receive said staple material thereon, the width of said face portion being substantially less than the predetermined length of said staple material whereby said staple material extends beyond the edges of said anvil on each sidE thereof, said anvil being movable from an operate position wherein said anvil is in the path of movement of said forming member to an inoperable position wherein said anvil is spaced from the path of movement from said forming member; g. said forming member comprising bending means movable with respect to said staple-forming station for engaging and bending the staple material about said anvil and for retaining the staple therein, and driving means movable between a first position and a second position whereby said driving means moves relative to said bending means to move the staple out of said bending means into said cavity as said driving means moves to said second position; h. latching means for connecting the cutting means of said forming member with the driving means for conjoint movement; i. unlatching means responsive to the movement of said forming member to a preselected position in its path of movement for disengaging said latching means to permit movement of said driving means relative to said cutting means from the first to the second position; j. disengaging means for moving said anvil to the inoperable position after said staple is formed; k. and selectively operable actuating means for sequentially operating said indexing means and for moving said forming member from said rest to said operate positions. 